For The Sake Of Elena

 

Cast
Nathaniel Parker .... Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley
Sharon Small .... Detective Sgt. Barbara Havers
Samantha Baker .... Elena Weaver
Cherie Lunghi .... Sarah Gordon
Tim Pigott-Smith .... Philip Weaver
James Hillier .... Adam Jenn
June Watson .... Mrs. Havers
Shaun Prendergast .... Sheehan
Elizabeth Kelly .... Mrs. G
Richard Syms .... College Porter
Will Knightley .... Troughton
Selina Cadell .... Glynn Weaver
Sophie Ward .... Justine Weaver
Katie Blake .... Mel
Richard Lintern .... Thorsson
Lucy Scott .... Bernadette
David Ellington .... Gareth Randolph
Sarah Easton .... Girl in Greasy Spoon
Fred Ridgeway .... Funeral Director
Lesley Vickerage .... Helen Clyde
Paul Shearer .... Harry
Amanda Royle .... Pen
Miranda Raison .... Ros
Oliver Maltman .... Uniformed Officer
Richard Evans .... Celebrated Cellist
Daniel Sung .... Student in Concert
Leda Hodgeson .... Mrs. Margoyles
Joanna Brookes .... Edwina

Directed by Richard Laxton
Written by Valerie Windsor, based on a novel by Elizabeth George
First Broadcast on BBC One April 22, 2002

Plot

A young, deaf, Cambridge student - Elena Weaver - is murdered by a blow to the head whilst out jogging early one morning. Elena is the daughter of Cambridge academic Dr Philip Weaver. Her body is discovered by renowned celebrity artist Sarah Gordon whilst on an early morning sketch. Lynley heads off to Cambridge alone to begin the investigation, as Barbara has been experiencing problems with her mother's escalating dementia.

As the investigation progresses the problems within the Weaver family begin to unfold. Philip Weaver was tortured with the shame of his daughter's deafness, a disability which he had trouble coming to terms with. His marriage to his second wife Justine is dysfunctional and childless, and is further complicated by Dr Weaver's affair with artist Sarah Gordon. Additionally Justine was jealous of Elena's manipulative and sexually confident nature.

Havers joins Lynley in Cambridge and they discover that as well as the family complication there are many people in College who could be responsible for the crime. It emerges that the promiscuous Elena was over 3 months pregnant when she died, and the father could be among a number of men. Possibly Adam Jenn, Dr Weaver's nervous research student, or Gareth Randolph a fellow deaf student and Elena's boyfriend, or Dr Thorsson her academic supervisor. In true crime story tradition it is the choice of murder weapon that leads them to the killer.

Helen is also staying in Cambridge with her sister and Lynley is keen to dispel any bad feeling between them. Lynley is of course desperate to be friends with Helen and she somewhat reluctantly agrees. Typically the more interesting dynamics are between Lynley and Havers. There is the delightful shower scene played out when Haver's arrives in Cambridge and goes along to Lynley's rooms. He continues to talk 'shop' with her during his shower and Havers does not know quite where to look!! There is a touching scene at the end of the episode when a rueful Lynley wonders what he could possibly have to offer a woman (has he not looked in the mirror!), and Havers replies "what apart from the acres and a small stately home Sir…!"